Button-sewing machine.



W. L. BARRON.

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1910.

Patented July 25,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WlT/VESSES: l/Vl/E/VTOR GE Q YTW'T w fQ/ZJ/ 5 W. L. BARRON.

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.15,1910.

Patented July 25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-"SHEET 2 55 iii TILLIA M L. BARRON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BUTTON-SEWING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July %5, iii.

Application filed March 15, 1910. Serial No. 549,458.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. BARRON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county ot New York and State of New York,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttonbewing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein plate spaced therefrom substantially the.

thickness of a button-head, a shieldpiate being provided intermediate the needle-hole and the button-head channel to prevent the tilting ot the button-head into the needle path and consequent breakage of the needle.

The invention further consists in a spur carried by the presser-toot and adapted to enter the eye of the shank to securely hold the same for the stitching operation, and automatically acting means for releasing the button-shank from said holding spur after a stitching operation, and certain other features of construction herein shown, described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear side elevation of a shank-button sewing machine of the well known Singer type having the general constructive features represented in the United States Patent to G. S. G'atchell No. 885,990, dated April 28, 1908, and embodying the present improvement, and Fig. 1 a plan of the stopmotion controlling device of the same. Fig. 2 is a front end-elevation of the machine. Figs. 3 and i are perspective views taken from difi'erent positions and representing the button-holding presser-i oot, the throatplate, a portion of the needle-bar and the needle. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the button-shank guide detached from the presser-foot, and Fig". 6 a detached perspective view of the lever carrying the buttonholding spur. Fig. 7 is a front elevation, partly in section, otthc button-holdin foot with, a button inserted therein, Fig. 8 'is a perspectiveview, upon an enlarged scale and artly in section, showing a. looseshank-button such as the button-holding foot of the present invention is especially adapted to handle.

The frame of the machine is constructed with the hollow standard 1 with work-supporting arm or horn 2 and overhanging arm 3 in which is journa-led the main-shaft 4 provided upon its rearward end with the fast and loose grooved pulleys 5 and 6 to .t-he tormer of which is attached the usual stopping cam 7 adapted for engagement by the upper end of the plunger-bar 8 which is journaled in thestop-lever 9 tulcrumed upon center-screws 10 carried by a bracket 11se-' cured to the standard 1. The plunger-bar 8 has fixed thereon adjacent. the upper bearing boss 9* the collariQ between whichand the lower bearing boss 9* is interposed the spring 13;" r

The main-shaft carries at its forward end the take-up cam-cylinder 14 carrying the crank-pin 15 connected by means of the pitman 16 with a lateral pin 17 carried by the collar 18 fixed upon the reciprocating needle-bar 19 carrying the needle 20 and .journaled in suitable hearings in the swinging needle-frame 21 pivotally mounted upon the head of the bracket-arm and provided with a lateral lug 22whichis pivotally connected with the forward end of the link 23 whose rearward vend is pivotally connected with the vibratory lever 24 receiving its operative movements from a cam-groove v25 of the cam cylinder 26 loosely mounted uponthe main-shaft and derivingstep-bystep operative movements from suitable driving means. eral jogging movements in a plane transverse to the wortsupporting arm 2 and has cooperating therewith in the production ot stitches the oscillating shuttle 2'? mounted in a suitabie raceway in the .arm' 2 and operatively connected with the actuating crank 4* ot the mainsshatt.

The presser-bar 28 is mounted in suitablebearings afiorded by the head of the bracketarm, and hasfixed thereon by means of the screw 29 a collar-30 between which and the The needle receives its latlower end of the bearing bushing 31 is interposed the spring '32. The presser-bar has secured upon its reduced lower end 28 by means of the screw 33 the slotted shank 34 of thepresser-foot whose operative portion 35 has in its inner edge, or that nearest the standard 1, a longitudinal. slot 36 intersected by the elongated needle aperture 37. Within the lateral slot 36 of the resser-foot is introduced the body of a Ushaped sheet metal button-shank guide 38 having at the edge of its lower member a short depending lip 39 and at the corresponding edge of its upper member the upwardly extending lip 40 affording a partition plate 41 adapted to close theopen side of the needle aperture 37 and afford a shield to protect the needle from interference with the head of a button resting upon the exposed face of said shield. The upper member of the button-shank guide is formed with a closed needle-aperture 42 in register with that of the presserfoot, while the lower member has an aperture 43 having at its rear end an inclined opening 44 leading outwardly to the edge of the lip 39, thus forming adjacent theneedle aperture a button-shank supporting tongue 45. The shield-plate 41 is provided with screw-holes 46 entered by fastening screws 47 by which the button-shank guide is secured to the presser-foot.

Secured to a suitable transverse seat upon the front side of the resser-foot shank by means of a fastening screw 48 passing through a slot 49 therein is the shank 50 of a depending spring-plate 51 whose lower operativev .end portion is spaced substantially the thickness of a button head from the lips 39 and 40 of the guiding member 38 in conjunction with which it acts to confine the button-head yieldingly in position'with its shank extending within 'the' longitudinal runway afforded by the guide 38 and across the needle apertures in the latter. As represented in the drawings, the operative lower portion of the spring-plate 51 has an outturned lip 51 to insure easy entrance of the button-head within the channel afforded bethe supporting tongue 45 oflthe guide-mem-' ber 38, it will be observed that in order to detach the work after a stitching operation, it must be advanced to bring the fastening stitches beyond the end of the tongue 45, when the button-head passes the rear edge of the confiningspring-plate 51 and may then be readily moved laterally to diseng gage the shank from its guide-member 38.

In order to insure the proper holding of the button-shank in stitching position for application of the fastening stitches, the

its laterally ofl'set forward end with adepending prongor spur 57 having a wedgeshaped operative end adapted to enter the needle-apertures 37 and 42 near the edge thereof farthest from the shield-plate 41, so as to enter and lock firmly in position the eye of the button-shank while leaving ample room for reciprocation of the needlebetween itself and the shield-plate 41 for application of the fastening stitches. The rearward end portion or tail of the lever 53 is formed with a transverse aperture 58 in which is secured one end of a spring 59 whose other end is attached to a hook 60 at the upper end of a rigid arm 61 having its lower end secured by means of screws 62-to the back of the presser-foot shank. The forward end of the lever 53 is thus maintained yieldingly in its lower or operative position with the-spur 57 extending into the eye of the button-shank.

Pivotally' mounted upon the fulcrum-stud 63 tapped into the head of the bracket-armis a swinging detent-lever 64 having at its lower end a transverse member 65 with a notch 66 in its lower edge and terminating in a finger-piece 67 exposed in front of the presser-foot shank. The member 65 of the lever 64 is embraced by the vertical slot 68 of a guide-plate 69 secured by means of screws 70 upon the front side of the presserfoot shank, whereby the swinging lever 64 is suitably guided in its movements transversely of the presser-foot. The lever 64 has rigidly secured thereon near'the fulcrum-stud 63 by means of the screw 71 one ,end of a bent wire spring 72 whose opposite end rests against a'boss 73 upon the head of the bracket-arm and tends to throw the-lever forwardly to bring the unnotched portion'of its lowerend directly above the tail of the lever 53.

' The parts are so arranged and proportioned that when the pr'esser-bar is lowered to bring the presser-foot into operative relation with the work the tail of the shankholding lever 53 is entirely disengaged from the detent-lever 64 and the spur 57 is in its operative position within the rounded end of the button-shank eye; but when the resser-bar is raised to lift the presser-foot clear of the work, the lever 53 is lifted bodily upon its fulcrum-stud 55 until its tail 1 encounters the lower end of thedetent-lever 64, when it becomes tilted thereon to retract the spur 57 from the button-shank eye, whereby the button is released from the presser-foot and is permitted to be withdrawn with the work as before described. After a new button has been inserted in stitching position by the operator, a slight pressure upon the finger-piece 67 serves to shift the detent-lever 64 in opposition to its spring 72 so as to bring the notch 66 into register with the upper edge of the lever 53, which causes the release of the same and its tilting upon its fulcrum-stud 55 under the action of the spring 59' to enter its spur 57 into the button-shank eye for a succeeding button-fastening operation.

While any usual or suitable means may be provided for lifting the presser-bar, the automatically acting means to this end, herein shown and described, is considered preferable. The collar 30, is provided with a rearwardly' projecting lug 74 whose lower edge is engaged by the forwardly extending arm of a tilting lever 75 fulcrumed upon the screw-stud 7 6 and carrying atits rearward end the roller-stud 77 entering a longitudinal slot 78 in the extremity of the forwardly extending arm of a rock-lever 79. This lever is mounted upon the fixed, fulcrumstud 80 and has in its ofiset rearward end a socket 81 entered by theplunger-pin 82 whose reduced rearward end passes through said socket and is provided with the thrustnut 83 and the jam-nut 84 to sustain the thrust of a spring 85 encircling the same and interposed between the inner end of the socket and the enlarged forward end of the pin 82. In order to hold the stop-lever 9 with its upper end in it's forward inoperative position in opposition to the action of the spring 86 so as to maintain the plungerbar 8 disengaged from the stopping cam 7 the arm 87 of said lever which carries the belt-shifting fork 88 is provided with a bevel-pointed pin 89 adapted to be engaged by the hook 99 of a detaining rock-lever 91 fulcrumed upon a fixed screw-stud 92 and having its tail 93 disposed in the path of movement of a tripping stud 94 upon the cam-cylinder 26, the rock-lever 91' being held in operative position by means of the spring 95. Upon the tripping of the rock-lever by the pin 94, the hook 90 is disengaged from the pin89 which permits the stop-lever 9 to be shifted under the action of its spring 86 to bring the plunger-bar 8 intooperat-ive relation with the cam 7, thereby throwing the side of the collar 12 into engagement with the point of the plunger-pin 82 to force the.

same inward. The plunger-bar 8 is depressed in opposition to its spring 13 under the action of the cam 7, the shoulder 12- afiorded by the top of the collar 12 moving dowmvardly: beneath the plunger pin 82 which snaps forward above the same to be positively engaged when the plunger-bar rises in its final stopping action, so as to tilt the rock-lever 79, and' through the lever 75 lift the presser-bar 28. As before explained, the lifting of the presser-bar causes the retraction of the button-shank detaining spur 57 and release of the button'from the foot, whereby the button is adapted to be withdrawn from stitching position.

In practice, the shield-plate 41 is provided in its upper, edge with a notch 41* which is made sufficiently deep to expose the needleeye for the purposes of threading.

As represented in Fig. 8, the so-called military or loose shank buttons are composed of a front 96 having a peripheral flange embracing the rim of the back 97. which is formed with spaced apertures 98 entered by the spaced members 99 of the shank whose outt-urned extremities 100 enter the space intermediate the front and back spaced from said edge of the presser-foot to form in conjunction with the" latter a buttonhead channel, a needle-shield plate extending upwardly from said runway and affording a partition between said needle-aperture and the button-head channel, and means adapted to engage and lock the button-shank from movement both endwise and sidewise in said runway,

2. A presser-foot having extending inwardly from one edge a longitudinal slot and a laterally-open needle-aperture transverse to the same, a U-shaped sheet metal button-shank guide having its body portion housed within said slot and formed with a closed needle-aperture in register with that of said foot and provided with upwardly and downwardly projecting lips extending respectively from its upper and lower members, and a button-head confining springplate arranged adjacent but spaced from said lips of the button-shank guide and forming therewith a button-head channel.

3. A presser-foot having extending inwardly from one edge a longitudinal opensided button-shank runway and a laterallyopen needle-aperture transverse to the same, a button-head confining spring-plate disposed adjacent but spaced from said edge of the presser-foot and having a shank angu larly arranged relatively thereto and adjustably secured to the presser-foot to form a button-head channel of adjustable width,

and a needle-shield plate extending up wardly from said runway and affording a partition between said needle-aperture and the button-head channel.

4. A -presser-foot having extending inwardly from one edge a longitudinal button-shank runway open at both ends and at one side and formed with upper and lower shank-guiding members, and a transverse needle-aperture extending through both of said members and open at one end in the lower of said members to produce a butt-om 7 shank-guiding members, and a transverse needle-aperture extending through both of said members and open at one end in the lower of said members, and a shank-holding spur disposed transversely of said runway at said needle-aperture and adapted to enter the eye of the button-shank to hold the same in position for receiving fastening stitches.

6. A presser-foot having extending inwardly from one edge a longitudinal button-shank runway with upper and lower.

shank-guiding members, and a transverse needle-aperture extending through-both of 'said members and open at one end in the lower of said members, and a spring-pressed shank-holding spur normally entering said needle-aperture and extending across said runway for holding a button-shank in position for receiving fastening stitches.

7. A Presser-foot having extending inwardly from one edge a longitudinal button-shank runway with upper andlower shank-guiding members, and a transverse needle-aperture extending through both of said members and open at one end in the lower of said members, a tilting lever fulcrumed upon said resser-foot,ashank-holding spur carried by said lever and normally entering the needle-aperture and extending across said runway, and a spring for maintaining said lever normally in operative position.

8. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocating needle, a resser-bar, a spring for depressing the same, and means for lifting the presser-bar, of apresserfoot secured to the presser-bar and having extending inwardly from one edge a longitudinal buttonshank runway with upper and lower shankguiding members, and a transverse needleaperture extending through both of said members and open at one end in the lower to the presser-bar and having extending in- I wardly from one edge a longitudinal buttonshanlr runway with upper and lower shankguiding members, and a transverse needle-. aperture extending through both of said members and open at one end in the lower of said members, a tilting lever fulcrumed upon said resser-foot, a shank-holding spur carried by said lever and normally entering the needle-aperture and extending across said runway, a spring for maintaining said I lever normally in operative position, and a detent-levermountedupon a fixed fulcrum and presenting a shoulder for engagement with the spur-carrying lever whereby the raising of the presser-foot brings into operative engagement with the detent-lever the spur-carrying lever for tilting the latter to retract the spur from operative position.

10. In a sewing machine, the combination withstitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocating needle, a resser-bar, a spring for depressing the same, and means for lifting the presser-bar, of a presser-foot secured to the resser-bar and having extending inwardly from one edge a longitudinal buttonsha'nk runway with upper and lower shankguiding members, and a transverse needleaperture extending through both of said members and open at one end in the lower of said members, a tilting lever fulcrumecl upon said presser-foot, a shank-holding spur carried by said lever and normally entering.

the needle-aperture and extending across said runway, a spring for maintaining said lever normally in operative position, a spring-pressed detent-lever mounted upon a fixed fulcrum and presenting a shoulder for engagement with the spur-carrying lever when the presser-foot is lifted, and means for shifting said detent-lever out of opera tive engagement with thespur-carrying lever to enable the latter to resume operative position while the presser-foot remains raised.

11. In a sewing machine, the combinationwith stitch-forming mechanismincluding a reciprocating needle,ja presser-bar, a spring for depressing the same, and means for lifting the presser-bar, of a presser-foot secured to the presser-bar andprovided with buttonholding means, button -'detaining means adapted to enter and remain within the eye of a button for positively locking the same in position to receive fastening stitches, and

eeaeee means operated by the lifting of the resserfoot to retract said button-detaining means for the release of the button after a stitching operation. K

12. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a for holding the same during the production of a succession of fastening stitches.

13. In a sewlng machlne, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a or reciprocating needle, of a button-holding member constructed with a button'shank runway and a button-head guideway, and button-detaining means comprising a shankholding spur normally extending across said, runway and entering the button-shank for holding the same in position for receiving fastening stitches.

14. A presser-foot constructed with a button-shank runway and a button-head guide-- way, and provided with detaining means entering said runway and adapted to engage and lock the shank of the button from movement endwiseand sidewise in the runway for receiving fastening stitches.

15. A Presser-foot constructed with a button-shank runway and a button-head guideway, and provided with detaining means comprising a shank-holding spur disposed transversely of said runway and adapted to enter a button-shank to hold the same for receiving fastening stitches.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM L. BARRON. V

Witnesses:

' H. A. KoRNEMANN, Jr.,

NORMAN J. AoKnR. 

